An: OMG I know it's been ages but I finally did manage to bring you a new chapter. I'm so sorry for making you wait so long but I had a lot of things to do. I actually started to work and had to get accustomed to it and I also had a major case of writers block which really did cause all of this. But now I'm back and hopefully I'll be able to update a lot more often from now on, for me too because I really want to go on writing and show you what I have planned for Alice and co. So read, enjoy and vote and comment^^

In the weeks that followed the second task Alice was able to hear about a hundred or more different stories of what had happened down the black lake. Ron was making himself out to be the real hero. Especially Padma Patil was literally glued to his lips and wouldn't stop staring at him in awe. Alice was sitting next to Fred eating her breakfast while Ron tried to show Padma how he fought of the Merfolk.

"I can't believe that he changed the story again," said Alyssa who was sitting in front of her sister.

"Let him have the attention. He rarely gets it," said Alice grabbing another toast.

"I think he's overdoing it," sighed Ginny. "

"I could have taken those mer-idiots any time I wanted," assured Ron everyone around him.

"What were you going to do, snore at them?" said Hermione waspishly. People had been teasing her so much about being the thing that Viktor Krum would most miss that she was in a rather tetchy mood. Ron's ears went red, and he reverted thereafter to the bewitched sleep version of events.

March came and Alice slowly started realising how much time had passed. The school year was nearly over and so much had already happened in such a short amount of time. She was still trying to overcome her regrets for hurting George. She hadn't told Fred abaout it as it was something she had to try herself, without the help or the good words of other people. In her head she knew that it wasn't her fault, not really but her heart said something entirely different. Still, she tried to at least slowly get over it, and it was successing even if it were only small steps. Defense against the Dark Arts was certainly not helping much as Professor Moody seemed stranger by day. Alice had noticed that he wasn't really caring about the students, although he tried to help them it mostly contained weird adventures on his behalf. In short: she didn't like him. So it was a given that she wasn't in the best of moods this morning while walking down the hall to the DADA room. Like always the Hufflepuffs were together with the Gryffindors which normally made time go by faster thanks to the twins, Cedric and Amara.

"Cheer up Alice, Moody might be strange but he's still funny. Like every old person, they get funny when old," said Amara in an attempt to make her smile.

"But it's double DADA and we're learning nonverbal spells and I'm so bad at it."

"That's why you go to school love, to learn things," said Fred and immediately turned white. "That actually came out of my mouth. Shame on me."

"Yes, you ought to brush your tongue with soap, dear brother," said George. Fred gave him a look and took Alice's hand.

"Don't fret it Alice. I promise you will have fun during class. Trust me," he said with a grin as they sat down on their chairs.

"You know, maybe Moody won't be so bad today," suggested Cedric but quickly held up his hands to withdraw his argument after being stared down by a disbelieving Alice.

In the same moment Professor Moody stepped out of his office and walked down the stairs. His magic eye was rotating wildly in its socket and Alice had the urge to hide under her desk as if the professor was able to see everything, even what was going on inside her head.

"Take out your wands, we'll be working on our nonverbal spells again. It's a necessity if you want to survive in this world. Otherwise your opponent will know which spell you're going to use so doing it nonverbal will give you at least a few minutes of time to protect yourself. Remember: constant vigilance or you're dead."

"It's always so nice to hear him say that we're all going to die," whispered Amara with a grin.

"Maybe Miss Grey wants to demonstrate a nonverbal spell for us?" asked Moody suddenly without turning around.

"uhm...sure?" said Amara wearily. She gave Alice a look and mouthed help then stood up and held up her wand.

"Why don't you try to disarm Miss McIntire?"

"Me?" said Alice surprised and looked at Amara.

"Yes you. I believe you'll be able to stand there and wait for something to happen," he said with a grin as if trying to be funny but all his grin did was turning his face into a weird grimace.

'Merlin he's so creepy,' thought Alice and stood up with a nod. She then stood in front of the class, her wand held up and Amara as her opponent. The girl looked rather unsure of herself and Alice knew that nonverbal spells weren't Amaras strong point. Still they had to do something as Moody seemed to be waiting. He was tapping his artificial leg impatiently against the floor whilst staring at the two girls.

Alice motioned for Amara to start and held up her thumb to show her that everything was okay. Amara nodded, her eyebrows narrowing in concentration. She made a thrusting movement with her wand and for a moment Alice felt as if a wind had hit her but nothing more happened. Professor Moody sighed and walked forward.

"Who wants to try next? Or wait...let's form pairs and try out to disarm one another nonverbal. Everyone stand up and come forward. I will remove the tables." And with a swish of his wand all the tables and chairs vanished taking some of the students so much by surprise that they were suddenly lying on the floor.

Before Alice was able to walk over to Amara to comfort her friend, Fred stood in front of her blocking her way.

"Let's be partners," said the red-head.

"Why? I wanted to work together with Amara," answered Alice and looked over to the other girl. But right at that moment she saw George making his way over to Amara.

"No chance, my brother was faster," said Fred following her gaze.

"I noticed," said the girl and held up her wand. "So let's do this. I just hope you're as bad as me, otherwise this won't be as fun."

Fred chuckled and grinned. "Trust me, this will be fun either way."

Moody stood in the back of the class while the other students started trying to disarm their opponent. Fred stood ready to fight but just in the last moment he looked over to his brother, grinned and then they both flicked they wands.

Alice waited for something to happen, ready to get disarmed but instead she saw two students in the back suddenly sprouting feathers. Moody went over to them as everyone was looking but Alice eyes were on Fred who put a finger to his mouth and motioned her to keep going. So the girl grinned and just kept on trying to successfully use a nonverbal spell.

But while she was able to summon nonverbal spells, Fred and George were busy tricking every student in the class. She could see Amara trying to contain her laughter every time another student sprouted feathers or suddenly grew rainbow coloured hair.

Instead of sending the affected students to Madame Pomfrey, Moody just let them continue the nonverbal spells as if nothing had happened. Fred and George even cursed themselves so no one could detect them. Alice knew Moody wasn't dumb, so when he grew rabbit ears the girl knew the fun was over, because right after that Fred and George were turned into fullblown rabbits.

Alice was so shocked, she dropped her wand and couldn't bring out a word.

"Not so funny anymore, huh Mr. And Mr. Weasley? What's it like being a little bunny?" said the teacher, stomping over to them with a grin. He turned them back when he reached them and gave them both a pat on the back.

The twins looked rather confused but still grinned at each other knowing it was worth it.

"You two did quite well today, you really know your nonverbal spells boys," said Professor Moody to everyone's surprise.

Alice picked up her wand and eyed Moody suspiciously. She did not believe the Professor when he told them he wasn't mad at all. She rather thought he was trying to trick them all into liking him although she could not say why she thought so.

Either way, the class was dismissed without homework and everyone was proud of the twins for accomplishing something like that.